As a now solo practitioner, I am sometimes asked how I can handle complex real estate transactions by myself. The answer? The same way I did at BigLaw. It is easy!
I was therefore happy to see this story about large and small firm "partnerships" for certain matters. I do wish they'd taken the next step, though.
Sometimes large firms refer matters to me because I can handle price-pressured matters at a more reasonable cost while also maintaining high quality. I can do it because of low overhead. And when my clients have huge deals needing a large staff, I send it to some great shops where I have relationships.
Other times firms refer work to me because they don't handle commercial real estate. So I am their guy, so to speak.
Out of state? I've got that covered with a network of local counsel that I've developed over 15 years in the business.
Non-transactional matters? No problem. I don't litigate, but I have friends who do, and I cannot tell you how many pieces of litigation I have referred to large and small firms.
What about wacky real estate matters? Sometimes I do them. But because the client comes first, I want them to have the best. So I have some sub-specialist lawyers on my list of people to call for some matters, such as GSA leasing, Cook County property tax appeals, local zoning, etc. I can do these things, but sometimes the sub-specialist is the right call.
Oh, shameless plug department: if you are one of those big firm or small firm folks out there (and I know you are reading), don't hesitate to drop me a line to see if we can work on deals going forward. I'm always looking to expand my base and meet good lawyers.
